RUSSIA: FREED U.S. AID WORKER KENNY GLUCK ARRIVES IN MOSCOW FOLLOWING ALMOST A MONTH IN CHECHEN CAPTIVITY
Record ID:
644153
RUSSIA: FREED U.S. AID WORKER KENNY GLUCK ARRIVES IN MOSCOW FOLLOWING ALMOST A MONTH IN CHECHEN CAPTIVITY
- Title: RUSSIA: FREED U.S. AID WORKER KENNY GLUCK ARRIVES IN MOSCOW FOLLOWING ALMOST A MONTH IN CHECHEN CAPTIVITY
- Date: 6th February 2001
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FEBRUARY 6, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS: EXTERIOR MOSCOW AIRPORT 0.09 2. SV'S: FREED U.S. CAPTIVE KENNETH GLUCK WALKING WITH COLLEAGUE THROUGH AIRPORT, GREETED BY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES (2 SHOTS) 0.39 3. LV: VEHICLE CARRYING GLUCK LEAVING 0.46 NAZRAN, INGUSHETIA, RUSSIA (FEBRUARY 6, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4. SV: FORMER CAPTIVE KENNETH GLUCK LEAVING BUILDING AND APPROACHING JOURNALISTS 0.53 5. CU: MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (MSF) STICKER ON CAR 0.57 6. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) GLUCK SAYING "I'm well and I'm healthy. I'm very happy that I was released, I'm very happy to be with the MSF team here, and with friends, so everything turned out well. " / (REPORTERS QUESTION) "Can you tell us a few details of your abduction and your release." / "No, we'll be talking to the press in Moscow, we don't have the time or the energy for any other questions. So I just want to thank everybody who has worked to help to get me released, there were very many people involved in that, so I want to wish them, thanks." 1.37 7. TRACK: GLUCK WALKING AWAY TO CAR 1.44 8. PAN: CAR DRIVING AWAY 2.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 21st February 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW AND NAZRAN, INGUSHETIA, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA1SIP3SVBWMT8K309W8IWE6VBG
- Story Text: Freed U.S. aid worker Kenneth Gluck has arrived in
Moscow following almost a month in Chechen captivity.
Gluck, who ran the Chechnya mission for Nobel Prize-winning
aid group Medicins sans Frontieres (MSF), earlier expressed
his thanks to those who worked for his release. He was freed
on Saturday in what Russia says was an undercover operation by
its special agents.
Arriving at Moscow airport on Tuesday evening (February
6), Gluck made no comment to the waiting media. He was
welcomed by MSF officials and colleagues and led by them to a
waiting vehicle.
Gluck spoke briefly to journalists in Nazran, Ingushetia
where he made an earlier stopover on his journey back to
Moscow.
"I just want to thank everybody who has worked to help to
get me released, there were very many people involved in that,
so I want to wish them, thanks." Gluck told reporters.
Gluck left Chechnya on Monday (February 5) and reached
neighbouring Ingushetia where he was met by relieved
colleagues.
Gunmen seized Gluck, MSF's director for the North
Caucasus, during an ambush on January 9 just south of the
Chechen capital Grozny.
The FSB domestic security service, which runs Russia's
military campaign in Chechnya, said the 38-year-old was
release during a bloodless operation by its forces. The agency
said no ransom was paid in the special operation to secure the
aid worker's release.
Gluck's release appeared to be a first coup for the FSB,
two weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin put it in
charge of Russia's 16-month campaign in the region and told it
to seize or kill rebel leaders.
Gluck's kidnap caused MSF and other aid groups to suspend
operations in the region. Akhmad Kadyrov, a Chechen who runs
the region's pro-Moscow administration, said he hoped aid
groups would quickly return.
Gluck was taken captive only a few days before a Council
of Europe team began a fact-finding mission to the region
before a vote on restoring Russia's voting rights in the
democracy body.
Russia said Gluck put himself in danger by traveling in
Chechnya without official papers, which MSF denied, and said
his kidnap was an example of the evil the government was
fighting.
Kidnapping has plagued Chechnya since it won de facto
independence after the retreat of Russian forces in 1996
following a disastrous 21-month campaign. Scores of Russians
are still held by gangs.
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